Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CarboPlex (Development of carbon-rich biochar-mineral complexes for soil amendment, carbon sequestration and beyond (CarboPlex))
Période du rapport: 2015-04-01 au 2017-03-31
Primary target is the use of BMCs as soil amender, especially in soils, where the delicate but crucial structure of organo-mineral complexes is threatened or already destroyed by unsustainable soil use or climate change. Where pure biochar is known to face its limits, BMCs because of their mineral part are assumed to allow much higher functionality (e.g. water and nutrient storage), increased stability and faster integration in the soil matrix. In the long term, developing soil-specific BMCs could improve the soil effects even further. It is only recently that the potential of BMCs started to be recognized, and only preliminary research on BMCs has been conducted. To provide evidence base on production, properties and soil effects, this project will carry out the first comprehensive and systematic study of BMCs.
The results show that the two types of feedstock (organic and mineral) form a novel and amorphous type of BMCs. Interestingly, HTC derived BMC have a much lower EC because of salt losses to the liquid phase of the HTC process. However, germination tests showed better plant response and less inhibition for pyrolysis-derived BMCs. Plant response to BMC appears highly diverse. However, some BMCs clearly showed a better plant response compared to their feedstocks. The underlying mechanisms that causes or prevent plant growth inhibition seem to concentrate on availability of organic and mineral toxicants. Further work is necessary to get a deeper understanding on individual mechanisms.